Culinary Psychology: Food Choices and the Mind-Body Connection

'Culinary Psychology is a fascinating exploration that resonates deeply with my own journey into the art and science of eating. As a pioneer of Multisensory Gastronomy, I've long championed the idea that true culinary pleasure extends far beyond mere taste, involving every sense - sight, smell, texture, and sound, amongst others - and indeed, our memories and emotions. This insightful book brilliantly unpacks the profound connection between our minds and what we eat, enriching our understanding of food choices. It's an essential read for anyone seeking to unravel the deeper dimensions of food. I invite you to delve into its pages and discover how embracing mindful eating can transform your relationship with food, enriching both body and soul.'

--Heston Blumenthal O.B.E. HonFRSC

'Bridging the kitchen and the clinic, Culinary Psychology makes the science of eating come alive. This book is a feast for anyone curious about the powerful links between food, the mind, and our health.'

--Dr. Anastasia Hronis, Clinical Psychologist, Author of 'The Dopamine Brain'

'In this fascinating, many-flavored book, Stelios Kiosses and his fellow authors use food as a lens through which to explore our beliefs, our health and happiness, and even our inner lives - showing that we are not only what we eat, but how we eat.'

--Christopher de Bellaigue, Journalist and Historian, Founder of the Lake District Book Festival

'It was truly a treat to read Culinary Psychology. While I was familiar with some of the topics in the book, other themes were new to me. All of the themes resonated with the strengths-based, resilience approach I have long advocated. The authors are gifted at presenting significant, meaningful information in such a warm, thoughtful, reader-friendly way. As I turned each page, I felt as if the authors were inviting me into the world of culinary psychology, teaching me its many features and how essential they are for our emotional and physical well-being. A constant thought I had while reviewing this book was my hope that as many people as possible would read it. Culinary Psychology represents a treasure of knowledge. It is a resource that will be read and re-read as we seek to enrich our lives in a very challenging world.'

--Dr. Robert Brooks, Formerly, Faculty, Harvard Medical School and Director of Psychology, Mclean Hospital, Co-author of 'The Power of Resilience'

'Since this book landed on my desk, I haven't put it down. As a chef and multisensory experience designer at Kitchen Theory, I have spent over a decade exploring the sensory and psychological relationship humans have with food and how this can be used to design better food experiences. This book does exactly that. From neurogastronomy and gastrophysics to mindset, sleep, social connection and sustainability, this book sheds light on how to turn these insights into meaningful experiences at home, in restaurants, classrooms, and clinics. Editors Stelios Kiosses, Beth Frates, and Neil Rippington bring chefs, clinicians, and researchers into the same room and keep the conversation highly practical. What resonated most is the human angle: food as memory, emotion, story - not just fuel. If like myself your interest in food extends beyond just eating and cooking, put this book on your shortlist.'

--Chef Jozef Youssef, Founder of Kitchen Theory

'This book is a vital contribution to understanding the connection between food, behavior, and well-being. Stelios Kiosses, Beth Frates, and Neil Rippington offer powerful insights into how psychology shapes the culinary experience. A must-read for chefs, educators, and anyone passionate about the deeper meaning of food and its impact on our lives.'

--Ragnar Fridriksson, Managing Director of Worldchefs, Host of World on a Plate podcast.

'This is a groundbreaking book on culinary psychology which will greatly assist all hospitality professionals to better understand their customers and guests and to personalise the guest experience, understand their motivations that help to tailor your product offer, to design and to create a memorable hospitality experience. This book helps us all to understand the complex issues that must be considered when planning and delivering hospitality products, especially the cultural diversity and customs associated with our primary and secondary socialization.'

--Professor David Foskett, OBE MBE CMA FIH Bed (Hons) FRACA HMCGC Chevalier de l'Ordre du Merite agricole

'This is one of the most eloquent and intellectually engaging works written on the deeper dimensions of culinary culture. When visionary minds converge, the result is a text that transcends traditional food writing and enters the realm of cultural philosophy. The book invites the reader to reconsider cuisine not simply as an art form, but as an intersection of geography, history, and human psychology. Through this lens, gastronomy becomes more than technique or creativity, it becomes a sustainable cultural expression shaped by place, people, and time. In an era where food systems, identity, and sustainability are central global conversations, this work stands as a revolutionary and timely contribution.'

--Natasha de Bourg, Culinary Strategist, Director, and Executive Producer, Classy Chef Productions Ltd.

Stelios Kiosses is a psychotherapist and the clinical lead for Edison Education. He manages a multidisciplinary team ensuring the delivery and integration of evidence based clinical and therapeutic practices and provides extensive training and supervision to associate therapists and formal work experience of graduate psychologists. He studied psychodynamic counselling and clinical supervision at the University of Oxford and was previously trained in psychotherapy and experimental psychology at Sussex University. He is an associate member of the American Psychological Association and a member of both the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and the British Psychological Society. He is a member of Corpus Christi College Oxford and a research collaborator with Professor Robin Murphy's Computational Psychopathology Research Group based at the University of Oxford.

Stelios currently teaches at Harvard University Extension School and has previously held teaching positions as a visiting senior research associate at Kings College London and as a visiting lecturer at Goldsmiths College University of London. He was originally appointed as an honorary senior lecturer at the Department of Psychiatry University of Birmingham teaching on the MS in psychiatry (family and mental health). He is the author of The Power of Talking: Stories from the Therapy Room. In his public role he has acted as a U.K. TV psychologist and presenter for Channel 4's hit series The Hoarder Next Door narrated by Oscar-winning actress Olivia Colman and he is patron of the Prince's Foundation School of Traditional Arts. one of HRH the Prince of Wales' (now King Charles III) core charities.

Stelios Kiosses is a distinguished psychotherapist, course director, and tutor at the University of Oxford, and a pioneering expert in culinary psychology. An Oxford graduate with specialized training in psychodynamic therapy and clinical supervision, Stelios has more than three decades of clinical experience, integrating dietary habits with emotional and psychological well-being.

His academic contributions are notable, having developed and taught the innovative culinary psychology course at Harvard University Extension School. He is currently a featured guest speaker at Harvard Medical School, contributing to its executive education in nutrition and wellness program.

Stelios' dynamic approach extends to his media work, where he presented the Channel 4 series The Hoarder Next Door, narrated by BAFTA- and Oscar-winning actress Olivia Colman. He is the author of The Power of Talking: Stories from the Therapy Room, which explores the transformative potential of psychotherapeutic dialogue.

Through his clinical practice, academic leadership, and public engagement, Stelios continues to champion the therapeutic possibilities of food and psychology, making a profound impact in the fields of mental health and emotional resilience.

Beth Frates, MD, is a trained physiatrist (a medical doctor specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation) and a health and wellness coach, with expertise in lifestyle medicine. She has received several teaching accolades from Harvard Extension School and Harvard Medical School, where she is an associate professor, part-time. Dr. Frates is one of the first fellows of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and a pioneer in lifestyle medicine. In 2008, Dr. Frates created the first Lifestyle Medicine Interest Group at Harvard Medical School. In 2014, she developed and taught a college lifestyle medicine curriculum at Harvard Extension School, and it is still one of the most well-received courses offered at the school. In 2017, Dr. Frates was selected to be one of four item writers for the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine's inaugural exam for certification in this specialty. She was voted president of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine in August 2020. Dr. Frates served as president until November 2024, and now serves two years as immediate past president. Dedicated to mentoring, she won the Women in Medicine I Stand With Her annual mentoring award for women mentoring women in 2024.

Dr. Frates coauthored The Lifestyle Medicine Handbook: An Introduction to the Power of Healthy Habits, which was ranked in the top 20 by Book Authority for medical books released in 2018. To accompany the syllabus and handbook, she also cocreated Lifestyle Medicine 101, a full college curriculum with twelve weeks of PowerPoints and a teacher's manual, which is free and accessible through the ACLM website. In addition, Dr. Frates coauthored The Teen Lifestyle Medicine Handbook (2020) which, when paired with the Teen Curriculum consisting of a teacher's manual and twelve PowerPoint decks, can be used to teach and empower middle school and high school students to adopt and sustain healthy habits. In 2023, Dr. Frates coauthored The Lifestyle Medicine Pocket Guide and coedited Empowering Behavior Change in Patients. Most recently, in June 2024, she coedited the book Essentials of Clinical Nutrition in Healthcare.

Dr. Frates has created and implemented a twelve-step wellness program, PAVING the Path to Wellness(TM) for patients and providers. Most recently, she coauthored the book PAVING the Path to Wellness Workbook: A Guide to Thriving with a Healthy Body, Peaceful Mind and Joyful Heart. In addition, Dr. Frates has her own lifestyle medicine consulting/coaching practice where she sees patients one to one and in groups.

Neil Rippington trained as a chef at the Bournemouth and Poole College, before going on to work in Michelin-starred restaurants in France, London, and the New Forest, and other roles in the culinary industry in the U.S.A., Canada, and the Caribbean. In 1999, Neil returned to work in education and, in 2003, he joined Colchester Institute as head of the Centre for Hospitality and Food Studies. In 2010, Neil took up the position as dean of the College of Food at University College Birmingham, where he worked for more than ten years.

Neil's writing career started in 2007 with the publication of Professional Chef, produced as a resource for students following the newly developed City & Guilds diplomas in professional cookery (now in its second edition and translated into many languages). He has since written and cowritten several other practical books for students, has developed many educational programs, and teaches subjects across the culinary arts and gastronomy. His research led to the development of degree programs offered at the Edge Hotel School, University of Essex, and he codeveloped a program in culinary psychology at Harvard University, U.S.A.

Neil is a senior fellow of Advance HE. He is also an examiner for City & Guilds of London Institute and an academician of the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts, and chair of its Education Committee. Neil sits on various other committees and steering groups, is a subject expert for hospitality and catering for the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual), and has acted as an external university advisor/examiner in the U.K. and internationally.

In recognition of his work, Neil has received many accolades, including Disciple of Escoffier, honorary member of City & Guilds, and is lead judge for the development of skills at the Salon Culinaire, U.K. Neil is currently the program director for the college community program for the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts, U.K. and the international director for global education with the International Institute of Hotel Management, India.